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Gastroenterologist Fellowships

Article on Gastroenterologist Fellowships

Gastroenterology is the medical practice that deals with anything in connection to the digestive system. Medical professionals who specialize in this area are called gastroenterologists. It is a long and arduous road to become a specialist in this field, with years of intense study involved.

Medical Training

Gastroenterologists begin a course of study and training that is going to take 10 to 12 years to complete. After graduating from an accredited college with a 4 year bachelor’s degree, he or she must then be accepted into an accredited medical school to begin the path to their chosen career. Medical school training will take another 4 years to complete, at which time the student must complete another 2 to 4 years at a hospital as a resident who is specializing in Internal medicine. The graduate is then eligible to apply for fellowship for continued training.

The Fellowship Explained

The most important part of becoming a gastroenterologist is participating in a fellowship program. This is a challenging, very intense program of 2 to 3 years that is designed to provide the physician with the training that will lead to gastroenterologist certification. Competition for acceptance into the fellowship program is fierce since each medical facility only offers 2 or 3 positions each year. On average, over 300 physicians vie for one of these fellowships, making it extremely difficult to gain admittance.

The Fellowship Training

Once a physician has been accepted into a gastroenterologist fellowship program, the training becomes more intense and specialized. There are specific responsibilities that become part of the physician’s training. Each fellow will do rotations that focus on patient care, teaching, and research, along with consulting and general endoscopy. Throughout the duration of the fellowship training, each fellow will share responsibilities with other fellows in clinics, where opportunities to perform specific procedures will be available.

Additional Fellowship Responsibilities

Fellows are required to attend conferences throughout the training period. This happens at different times during the course of the fellowship, and will include Grand Rounds and Case Conferences, Basic Science Conferences, Surgery Conferences, Pathology and Radiology Conferences, and more. They are also expected to attend departmental meetings. Fellows also have extremely important teaching responsibilities. The performance of each fellow is evaluated by the members of the faculty, and in turn, the fellow is also required to evaluate the faculty members. Successful completion of the gastroenterologist fellowship program will enable the fellow to practice as a licensed gastroenterologist.

Practicing as the Gastroenterologist

After years of medical schooling and completion of the gastroenterologist fellowship, the doctor is now ready to set up his or her practice. Most gastroenterologists work in a hospital setting, but some of them choose to open their own practice. The medical field has job openings for these specialists across the country, and there is no worry about not being able to practice the chosen specialty. The gastroenterologist does not provide medical care that falls under the general area, meaning they are not the doctors who will do a physical, for example. This falls under the care of the general practice doctor, or MD. For anything that is related to the digestive system, however, this is the area of specialty of a licensed gastroenterologist.

There are still many people who will go to their regular physician for problems that can be diagnosed by a gastroenterologist. This is usually because they don’t know what this specialist can do, or does, in a regular basis. Many times the regular health care provider will refer these patients to the gastroenterologist for further diagnosis and treatment of digestive-related problems. For more information on the fellowships available, enquire at the office of your current educational institute or place where you plan to study.